Thefts from motor vehicles on main campus

Sergeant James Harris is one of many officers working to insure the safety and security at LCC.Photo by: Arunima Bhattacharjee

Sergeant James Harris is one of many officers working to insure the safety and security at LCC.Photo by: Arunima Bhattacharjee

Arunima Bhattacharjee
Reporter

During school hours, the first week of the fall term, students and staff were sent an email from Public Safety about recent thefts happening around campus.

A recent Public Safety report states that items have been stolen from cars. There have been a few reported instances, including one on Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. where an iPad, a firearm and $450 in cash was stolen.

During a soccer game on Oct. 11 there were two more thefts in parking lot N that were reported an hour apart. Public Safety and Lane County Sheriff’s Office are conducting investigations.

“We have a pretty good lead on the recent one that happened over the weekend during the soccer game,” Jace L. Smith, Chief of Public Safety said. “There are all kinds of crime happening here on campus. A crime has to be very dangerous or has to happen repeatedly before we send out an alert to students and the staff.”

Public Safety encourages students and staff to take precautions.

No matter the hour, everyone is encouraged to call Public Safety if they notice any suspicious behavior around campus.

During a public safety presentation Sergeant Chantal Thomas advised students and staff to be aware that fake modified keys have been used to enter cars like Toyotas and Hondas. “This is a premises open to the public. Anybody can come out here, so it’s better to be extra careful,” Thomas said.

Annually, Public Safety does 20-30 crime prevention presentations and security surveys around campus. This year they have changed many facets of their operations to improve public safety. They have changed the color of their cars, added new bike patrols and have more sergeants patrolling campus in plain clothes.

“During the fall terms, thefts from backpacks and theft of personal items are mainly reported on campus. Although this year is different from the other years, the number of incidents is lower but the types of incidents are more serious,” James L. Harris, Sergeant/Technical Services for Public Safety said.